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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. scale — size or range
  12. land — ground
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. track — a path
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. land — to come down
  17. scale — in music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. snap — to click
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stand — to bear
  24. land — a country

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