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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — a position
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — the cause
  12. bass — the fish
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stand — to bear
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. root — of a plant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. root — of a word
  22. bass — low music
  23. branch — a division
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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