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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. fall — the season
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — to go on
  9. content — the amount
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. firm — steady
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. firm — decided
  14. content — happy
  15. court — of a king
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fall — to drop
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. last — finally
  21. fall — to drop
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. last — final
  24. firm — a company

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