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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · deal · sharp · cold · squash · perch · stand · suit

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. ball — a dance
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cold — not warm
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stand — to bear
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. deal — to handle
  15. squash — to crush
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. perch — the fish
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. suit — to fit
  24. deal — an agreement

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