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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a word
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hand — help
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. board — to get on
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fall — the season
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. hand — in cards
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a committee
  22. fall — to drop
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. root — the cause

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