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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stock — shares
  5. land — a country
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. ground — a position
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. root — of a plant
  12. land — to come down
  13. root — the cause
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — the earth
  17. land — ground
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. root — of a word
  20. stand — to bear
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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