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

Word bank: pit · straw · lean · jam · perch · ground · firm · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. firm — a company
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pit — in a race
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a hole
  11. firm — decided
  12. perch — the fish
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lean — to bend
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. firm — steady
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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