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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — of a plant
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. stand — to bear
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bound — obliged
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. net — for catching
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. bound — certain
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. game — a match

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