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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. march — the month
  3. root — of a word
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stand — to bear
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bound — certain
  17. snap — to click
  18. root — the cause
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. root — of a plant
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cell — in a prison

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