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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. net — in sport
  3. snap — to click
  4. net — for catching
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. land — a country
  12. stand — to bear
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — after costs
  16. land — ground
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. land — to come down

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