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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. shower — rain
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kid — child
  7. fork — in a road
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. firm — steady
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rock — music
  16. firm — a company
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. shower — to wash
  24. firm — decided

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