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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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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — ground
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. land — a country
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — to come down
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — on your feet

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