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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stand — to bear
  7. net — for catching
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — music
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — soda
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. net — in sport
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. perch — the fish
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pop — to visit

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