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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: stand · ground · sharp · perch · bay · arm · mark · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mark — a grade
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ground — a position
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. band — a music group
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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