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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lean — thin
  4. last — final
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rest — what's left
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. last — to go on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. last — finally
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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