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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — in music
  5. rest — a break
  6. roll — a cake
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — temperature
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bear — the animal
  18. roll — a list
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bank — of a river
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. scale — size or range

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