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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. root — the cause
  3. field — farmland
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. field — a subject
  10. shower — rain
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. root — of a word
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stem — to come from
  17. press — to push
  18. shower — to wash
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. press — a publisher
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a plant

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