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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. drill — army training
  3. present — the time now
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bass — the fish
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. toast — bread
  9. drill — the tool
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — in cards
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bass — low music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. drill — a practice

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