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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: board · perch · stand · squash · mark · rest · bear · net

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rest — a break
  6. squash — to crush
  7. net — after costs
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — in sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — a grade
  18. net — for catching
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. board — to get on
  24. stand — on your feet

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