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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. capital — a city
  7. chip — for betting
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stock — goods
  11. root — of a word
  12. capital — money
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stock — shares
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. root — the cause
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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