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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · ruler · can · hide · firm · net · scale · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. scale — in music
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. firm — steady
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — size or range
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. net — in sport

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