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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. perch — the fish
  3. staff — employees
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cold — an illness
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mate — a friend
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cold — not warm
  12. degree — from a university
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. can — a tin
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. staff — employees
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mate — to breed
  24. perch — for a bird

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