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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · club · pitcher · stand · mine · land · bank · perch

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. land — to come down
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bank — of a river
  9. club — for dancing
  10. land — a country
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. club — a group
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. land — ground
  21. club — for golf
  22. bank — for money
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stand — for spectators

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