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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · stick · mug · cue · perch · bulb · craft · straw

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a face
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. perch — the fish
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mug — a cup
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cue — a hint
  17. field — for sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com