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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 120 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — the animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — the earth
  8. field — for sport
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kid — child
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ground — crushed
  17. field — a subject
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — farmland
  21. rest — a break
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. squash — the sport

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