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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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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: perch · jam · tube · row · stand · kick · stem · cue

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. row — a line
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stand — to bear
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cue — for pool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. kick — in football
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cue — a signal
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. row — to paddle

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