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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 116 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: perch · deal · bat · bulb · present · stem · shower · stand

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. shower — rain
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. present — a gift
  7. bulb — for light
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bat — the animal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. perch — the fish
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. present — there
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. present — the time now
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bat — in an idiom

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