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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chip — for betting
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. root — of a word
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spell — magic
  16. root — the cause
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. spell — a short time
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spell — letters
  21. saw — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wake — a trail
  24. drill — army training

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