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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: stand · bear · kid · pitcher · perch · fine · straw · charge

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. kid — child
  10. charge — a price
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — electricity
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. kid — to tease
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. fine — high quality
  24. perch — the fish

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