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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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pop — music
  5. perch — the fish
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. file — a tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bank — for money
  11. file — a document
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pop — soda
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bank — for money
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hand — help
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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