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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spring — of water
  6. scale — in music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — certain
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. ball — a great time
  18. spring — a coil
  19. ball — a dance
  20. spring — the season
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ball — a round shape

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