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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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. stand — for spectators
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. court — of law
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. court — for sport
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. firm — a company
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. firm — steady
  18. perch — the fish
  19. court — of a king
  20. firm — decided
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. perch — for a bird

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