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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. net — for catching
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kick — in football
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. board — to get on
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. board — a committee
  21. net — in sport
  22. cell — a phone
  23. net — after costs
  24. pitcher — a jug

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