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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. land — to come down
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bank — of a river
  6. last — final
  7. board — to get on
  8. last — to go on
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. land — a country
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. bank — for money
  23. land — ground
  24. last — finally

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