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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. field — farmland
  3. tube — the underground
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. staff — employees
  7. rock — a stone
  8. field — for sport
  9. perch — the fish
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rock — music
  12. fall — the season
  13. snap — to click
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fall — to drop
  20. field — a subject
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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