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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rest — a break
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stand — to bear
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ball — a great time
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. season — of the year
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — after costs
  23. root — of a word
  24. wake — before a funeral

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