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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. dip — to sink
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stand — to bear
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. charge — in control
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. file — a document
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. charge — a price
  21. file — a tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. row — a line
  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