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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ground — crushed
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ground — a position
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. scale — in music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. toast — bread
  22. ground — the earth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stand — to bear

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