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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. game — wild animals
  5. deal — to handle
  6. row — a line
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. game — a match
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. board — to get on
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. root — of a word
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stock — goods
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stock — shares
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. root — the cause
  21. board — a committee
  22. pop — soda
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pop — music

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