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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. band — a music group
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — money
  15. stand — to bear
  16. capital — a city
  17. band — a ring
  18. bank — of a river
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rush — hurry
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stand — for spectators

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