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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. track — a song
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. foot — a measure
  5. present — the time now
  6. track — a path
  7. present — there
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — a division
  15. stand — to bear
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. present — a gift
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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