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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rule — a law
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — of ice
  21. field — for sport
  22. rule — government
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. scale — in music

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