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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 124 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. object — an aim
  3. root — the cause
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. fall — to drop
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fall — the season
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cold — not warm
  18. root — of a word
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. object — a thing
  24. fan — a supporter

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