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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.

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: bear · mouse · track · staff · land · mug · perch · wake

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mug — a cup
  3. track — a path
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. perch — the fish
  8. land — to come down
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — a face
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. track — to keep track
  18. land — a country
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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