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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — the cause
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — of a plant
  8. season — in sport
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. net — for catching
  15. stand — to bear
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. net — after costs
  18. season — of the year
  19. root — of a word
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. net — in sport
  24. sharp — with an edge

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