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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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468
Word bank
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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stand — to bear
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. scale — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rush — hurry
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. perch — the fish
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fine — all right
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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