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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bear — the animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. cold — not warm
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. craft — boats
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — the fruit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. safe — a strongbox

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