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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. charge — in control
  3. firm — a company
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mug — a face
  6. scale — size or range
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — steady
  9. charge — a price
  10. scale — in music
  11. file — a line of people
  12. perch — the fish
  13. firm — decided
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mug — a cup
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. file — a document
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. file — a tool

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