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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — soda
  18. row — a line
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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