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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bear — the animal
  6. clip — for paper
  7. scale — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. clip — a video
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. firm — steady
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. firm — a company
  20. pound — a weight
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. staff — employees
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. firm — decided

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