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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. file — a tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mug — a cup
  6. land — a country
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mark — a grade
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. row — a line
  16. file — a document
  17. land — ground
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mug — a face
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mug — to rob
  24. racket — for tennis

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