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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a word
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cell — a phone
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fall — the season
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stand — to bear
  18. swing — music
  19. cell — in biology
  20. root — the cause
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. root — of a plant
  24. foot — a measure

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