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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. tube — the underground
  3. roll — a list
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bear — the animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. scale — size or range
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pound — a weight
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — a container
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. roll — a cake

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