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

Word bank: cold · pound · stick · ruler · stand · scale · bear · hide

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cold — an illness
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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