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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a word
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rule — a law
  7. root — the cause
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — goods
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bat — the animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rule — government
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stock — shares
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — to bear
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bat — in an idiom

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