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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mark — a grade
  8. scale — in music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. club — for dancing
  11. tear — to rip
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — the time now
  18. ball — a dance
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. present — a gift
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. scale — size or range

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