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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bank — for money
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. capital — a city
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rule — a law
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. capital — money
  15. rule — government
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. bank — for money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bank — of a river

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