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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. roll — a list
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. court — of a king
  8. pound — a weight
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. court — of law
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — clever
  24. roll — a cake

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