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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 124 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. staff — a stick
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pop — to visit
  5. root — of a word
  6. net — after costs
  7. pop — music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. net — for catching
  13. staff — employees
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. net — in sport
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stand — to bear
  19. staff — employees
  20. can — a tin
  21. root — the cause
  22. row — a line
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kid — to tease

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