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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bore — to tire
  7. key — in music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. field — farmland
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. bore — to drill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — gave birth

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