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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. bear — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. field — for sport
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chair — a leader
  16. scale — in music
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  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