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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bear — the animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wake — a trail
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. scale — in music
  18. club — a group
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stand — to bear
  24. kid — child

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