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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stand — to bear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. roll — a cake
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — all right
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fine — high quality
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. roll — a list
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cap — a hat

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