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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.

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: land · bound · cue · stand · game · perch · bay · fine

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cue — for pool
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fine — all right
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cue — a signal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. land — ground

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