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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: lean · tear · court · suit · bowl · roll · stand · perch

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. tear — from crying
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — the fish
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. court — of a king
  10. lean — thin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stand — to bear
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. court — for sport
  22. lean — to bend
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tear — to rip

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