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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. present — a gift
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. present — there
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cap — a lid
  7. game — a match
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — the time now
  10. game — wild animals
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bass — low music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cap — of ice
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — a kind of play

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