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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. firm — decided
  3. root — of a word
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spell — magic
  8. root — the cause
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. court — of law
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — a company
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. root — of a plant
  21. court — for sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. firm — steady
  24. mouse — for a computer

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