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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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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: toast · perch · cold · mark · ruler · pop · net · stand

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. net — in sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — for catching
  5. mark — a trace
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cold — not warm
  8. toast — bread
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. net — after costs
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mark — a grade

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