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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: bound · roll · cue · perch · cabinet · straw · stand · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bound — certain
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. perch — the fish
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bound — tied together
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cue — a signal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — a hint
  13. roll — a list
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bound — obliged
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pit — a hole

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