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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. scale — in music
  3. last — finally
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. last — final
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cap — a hat
  10. track — to keep track
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pound — a weight
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stand — on your feet

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