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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. object — a thing
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pop — to visit
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pop — soda
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. object — an aim
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — music
  22. perch — the fish
  23. row — a line
  24. object — to protest

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