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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bank — of a river
  6. file — a line of people
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. file — a tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — an amount
  16. roll — a list
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. degree — temperature
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bank — for money
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. file — a document

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