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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. root — of a plant
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — a division
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stand — to bear
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. tube — a container
  24. can — a tin

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