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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — of a river
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — for money
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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