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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. land — a country
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. land — ground
  11. craft — boats
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pound — a weight
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bear — the animal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cold — an illness
  23. suit — to fit
  24. scale — for weighing

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