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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chip — to eat
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kid — child
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. root — of a word
  12. chip — for betting
  13. march — the month
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bore — to tire
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. root — the cause
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kid — to tease

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