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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. staff — employees
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of law
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. court — of a king
  8. root — the cause
  9. rock — music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — for sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — of a plant
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rock — a stone
  22. root — of a word
  23. staff — employees
  24. can — to be able to

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