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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — a position
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tube — the underground
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cell — in a prison

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