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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. root — of a plant
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. root — the cause
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tube — the underground
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. field — farmland
  14. hand — help
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. cell — a phone
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cell — in a prison

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