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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — to bear
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. scale — in music
  10. band — a music group
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. band — a ring
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mate — a partner

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