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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a hat
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. root — the cause
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — a break
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. root — of a word
  21. stand — to bear
  22. track — a path
  23. cap — of ice
  24. track — a song

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