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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. rock — music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. land — to come down
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. land — a country
  15. file — a tool
  16. land — ground
  17. wax — to grow
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bear — the animal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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