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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wind — moving air
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spell — a short time
  10. root — the cause
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spell — magic
  15. stand — to bear
  16. root — of a word
  17. press — to push
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mark — a grade

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