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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.

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468
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: bass · perch · straw · board · stick · stand · spring · bulb

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — to bear
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — the season
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. board — to get on
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spring — a coil
  14. board — a committee
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bass — low music
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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