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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bass — the fish
  5. drill — army training
  6. charge — in control
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. drill — the tool
  11. charge — a price
  12. bass — low music
  13. charge — electricity
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chest — a box
  24. perch — for a bird

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