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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. tube — the underground
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. land — a country
  5. scale — size or range
  6. present — a gift
  7. land — ground
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. present — there
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. present — the time now
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — a container
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. scale — in music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. land — to come down

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