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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cold — not warm
  3. land — ground
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bound — certain
  10. board — a committee
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — to come down
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. board — to get on
  22. perch — the fish
  23. land — a country
  24. cold — an illness

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