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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ground — a position
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — crushed
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. kid — child
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. root — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. root — the cause
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. root — of a word
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cap — of ice

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