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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — the time now
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. present — there
  7. root — the cause
  8. shower — to wash
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. present — a gift
  11. root — of a word
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. roll — a cake
  16. band — a music group
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — of a plant
  22. shower — rain
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. roll — a list

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