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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. root — of a word
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. object — a thing
  6. shower — rain
  7. pitch — completely
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. capital — money
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. capital — a city
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — to bear
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. object — an aim
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ground — the earth

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