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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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468
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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. land — a country
  3. toast — bread
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. present — a gift
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. present — there
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. kick — in football
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. land — to come down
  14. chair — a leader
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. present — the time now
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. land — ground
  24. pitcher — a jug

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