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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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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: stand · cap · firm · pop · perch · fine · squash · wind

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. squash — the sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pop — soda
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. firm — steady
  14. fine — all right
  15. cap — a hat
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fine — high quality
  23. firm — decided
  24. wind — moving air

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