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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. suit — in cards
  3. capital — a city
  4. suit — clothes
  5. present — a gift
  6. capital — money
  7. present — the time now
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rest — a break
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pop — soda
  13. rest — what's left
  14. present — there
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pop — music
  17. club — for golf
  18. suit — to fit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. club — a group
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stand — to bear

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