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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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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: fan · stem · can · bat · pass · mug · perch · row

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. can — to be able to
  15. perch — the fish
  16. row — a line
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mug — a face
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — a permit
  23. can — a tin
  24. mug — to rob

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