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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — in sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. net — for catching
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bound — certain
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chest — a box
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. net — after costs
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bound — tied together
  23. perch — for a bird
  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