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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. root — of a word
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rash — a series
  10. stand — to bear
  11. lean — to bend
  12. clip — to cut
  13. board — to get on
  14. clip — for paper
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lean — thin
  21. root — the cause
  22. clip — a video
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — a committee

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