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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stand — to bear
  3. branch — a division
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ground — a position
  20. bear — the animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fine — all right

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