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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rash — hasty
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pit — in a race
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. branch — a division
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rash — a series
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. root — the cause
  24. mark — a trace

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