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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stand — to bear
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. root — the cause
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bound — certain
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bound — obliged
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. root — of a word
  16. chip — for betting
  17. capital — money
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bound — tied together
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. trunk — of a tree

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