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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. object — an aim
  5. date — the fruit
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. root — of a plant
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stand — to bear
  13. object — a thing
  14. firm — a company
  15. perch — the fish
  16. object — to protest
  17. swing — in golf
  18. root — the cause
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — of a word
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. swing — music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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