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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. season — of the year
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bat — the animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. season — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. track — a song
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. track — a path
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — to keep track
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stand — to bear
  23. scale — in music
  24. bat — in an idiom

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