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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wake — a trail
  4. swing — music
  5. root — of a word
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. root — of a plant
  9. present — there
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. root — the cause
  18. spell — a short time
  19. present — the time now
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — letters
  22. swing — to play on
  23. present — a gift
  24. stand — to bear

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