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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. field — a subject
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bank — of a river
  12. capital — money
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. foot — a measure
  17. hand — in cards
  18. field — for sport
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. hand — help
  21. capital — a city
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bank — for money
  24. field — farmland

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