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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ground — crushed
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. key — in music
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stand — to bear
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pit — in a race
  17. key — for a lock
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — a hole
  20. plane — a tool
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. root — of a word

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