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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: track · ruler · stand · chest · game · bear · cabinet · present

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. game — a match
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. present — a gift
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chest — a box
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. chest — of your body

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