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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rash — a series
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. firm — a company
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. firm — steady
  9. spell — letters
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rash — hasty
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. track — a path
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. spell — magic
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. branch — a division
  23. firm — decided
  24. perch — for a bird

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