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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. field — a subject
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stem — to come from
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. field — for sport
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. field — farmland
  14. ball — a great time
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. toast — bread

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