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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. net — in sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. net — after costs
  8. season — of the year
  9. roll — a list
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. field — a subject
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. net — for catching
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. roll — a cake
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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