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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ball — a dance
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. field — a subject
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stand — to bear
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. field — farmland
  12. ball — a great time
  13. race — humankind
  14. field — for sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. cue — a hint
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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