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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — in music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mine — for digging
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. key — the most important part
  24. root — the cause

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