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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: perch · stick · fall · cue · bay · bat · stand · march

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cue — a signal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bat — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fall — to drop
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bat — for baseball

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