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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fine — all right
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cap — a lid
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stand — to bear
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fine — high quality
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. cap — a hat
  24. ground — the earth

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