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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. charge — in control
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — the season
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. spring — of water
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stem — to come from
  14. root — of a word
  15. charge — a price
  16. spring — a coil
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stem — a stem cell

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