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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 120 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.

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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: bulb · perch · wake · pound · chair · stick · pitcher · racket

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — the fish
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. perch — for a bird

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