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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: bulb · wind · ground · perch · net · tube · firm · straw

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. firm — decided
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. firm — steady
  4. tube — the underground
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. net — in sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — a container
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. firm — a company
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. net — for catching
  16. wind — moving air
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ground — crushed
  22. perch — the fish
  23. tube — in a tire
  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