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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — an aim
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. chip — to eat
  21. root — the cause
  22. object — a thing
  23. root — of a word
  24. pitcher — a jug

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