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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. can — a tin
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stand — to bear
  6. dip — to sink
  7. can — a tin
  8. board — to get on
  9. can — to be able to
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. capital — a city
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. capital — money
  20. board — a committee
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. root — the cause
  24. nail — for a hammer

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