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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. suit — in cards
  5. firm — decided
  6. spring — of water
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spring — the season
  11. cell — a phone
  12. row — to paddle
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. suit — clothes
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stand — to bear
  18. firm — steady
  19. row — a line
  20. spring — a coil
  21. game — a match
  22. firm — a company
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. game — wild animals

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