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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chest — a box
  3. mate — a partner
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mate — to breed
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chest — of your body

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