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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. root — of a word
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cell — a phone
  15. root — the cause
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cap — a hat
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cell — in biology

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