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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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. tear — to rip
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rush — hurry
  16. present — a gift
  17. ball — a great time
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. season — of the year
  23. game — a match
  24. tear — from crying

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