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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kid — child
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. swing — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. root — of a word
  24. hand — in cards

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