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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. stand — to bear
  7. season — of the year
  8. bore — to tire
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. scale — in music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bore — gave birth

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