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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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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stand — to bear
  11. field — farmland
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. field — for sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — to grow
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitch — completely
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. field — a subject
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stand — on your feet

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