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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — electricity
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. charge — in control
  6. perch — the fish
  7. board — a committee
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. band — a music group
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. charge — a price
  17. band — a ring
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bank — of a river
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — for money

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