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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. prune — to trim
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chip — for betting

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