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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — to bear
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — a lid
  9. present — a gift
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cap — of ice
  14. drill — army training
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. key — in music
  18. drill — a practice
  19. present — the time now
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a hat
  23. present — there
  24. bear — the animal

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