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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. hand — help
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bound — certain
  12. bank — for money
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. bank — for money
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. land — a country
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bank — of a river
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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