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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.

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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: straw · stand · perch · bulb · bank · tube · pitcher · shower

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — to bear
  4. shower — rain
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. perch — the fish

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