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

Word bank: ground · cold · cabinet · kick · swing · suit · perch · firm

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — clothes
  5. perch — the fish
  6. firm — a company
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. swing — music
  9. suit — in cards
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cold — an illness
  12. firm — decided
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ground — a position
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — steady
  22. suit — to fit
  23. kick — in football
  24. cold — not warm

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