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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. root — the cause
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. season — in sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — a position
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. season — of the year
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bulb — of a plant

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