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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. squash — the sport
  3. land — ground
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. firm — a company
  11. court — of law
  12. squash — to crush
  13. object — to protest
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. scale — size or range
  20. object — a thing
  21. court — for sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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