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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rock — music
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. capital — money
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bank — for money
  19. cold — an illness
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stand — to bear
  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