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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rock — music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — for betting
  6. spell — magic
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. root — of a word
  9. rock — a stone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spell — letters
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fork — to eat with

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