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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: pop · stand · game · staff · key · perch · rule · can

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. can — a tin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pop — music
  5. game — a match
  6. rule — government
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — employees
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pop — soda
  13. game — wild animals
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rule — a law
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pop — to visit
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. key — in music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — to bear

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