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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. lean — thin
  3. root — the cause
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ground — a position
  8. stand — to bear
  9. content — happy
  10. stock — shares
  11. root — of a plant
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. root — of a word
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. lean — to bend
  22. content — the amount
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lean — to rest against

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