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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. object — a thing
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — to play on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ground — a position
  21. swing — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — the tool

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