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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. file — a document
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. scale — size or range
  11. key — for a lock
  12. file — a tool
  13. key — in music
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. scale — in music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. perch — the fish

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