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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. season — of the year
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stand — to bear
  6. content — the amount
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. bass — low music
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. content — happy
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mine — an explosive

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