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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. track — to keep track
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — to get on
  13. chip — to eat
  14. root — the cause
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. board — a committee
  18. track — a song
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. track — a path
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bay — a horse colour

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