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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pop — soda
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. ground — a position
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. branch — a division
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ground — crushed
  24. temple — side of the head

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