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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 116 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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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: stand · bound · sharp · mine · perch · pop · straw · club

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. club — a group
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — to bear
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pop — to visit
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. club — for golf
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pop — soda
  19. bound — tied together
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pop — music
  24. mine — for digging

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