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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kick — in football
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hand — help
  8. net — for catching
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. net — in sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ground — the earth
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ground — a position
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. net — after costs

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