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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: season · perch · stem · cap · pass · object · stand · key

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — in sport
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. perch — the fish
  15. key — the most important part
  16. object — an aim
  17. key — in music
  18. object — to protest
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. season — of the year
  24. perch — for a bird

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