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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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468
Word bank
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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. land — to come down
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. hand — help
  12. band — a ring
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stock — shares
  15. land — ground
  16. root — of a word
  17. land — a country
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. stock — goods
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. root — the cause

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