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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. content — happy
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. deal — to handle
  7. last — final
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. content — the amount
  12. date — the fruit
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. last — to go on
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stand — to bear
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. last — finally
  23. foot — a measure
  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