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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · drill · pit · chair · rush · spell · pop · root

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. chair — a leader
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. drill — a practice
  15. root — of a word
  16. stand — to bear
  17. drill — army training
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pop — soda
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stand — for spectators

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