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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. drill — army training
  8. scale — in music
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitch — completely
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cell — a phone
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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