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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. root — of a word
  6. bass — low music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cap — a hat
  17. perch — the fish
  18. root — the cause
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cap — a lid
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rush — hurry

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