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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. suit — in cards
  3. file — a document
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. scale — in music
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bark — to shout
  9. present — the time now
  10. file — a line of people
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — moving air
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. file — a tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — clothes

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