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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — for a lock
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spell — a short time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — not warm
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — decided
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. spell — magic
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. firm — a company
  18. cold — an illness
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spell — letters
  24. firm — steady

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