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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. root — the cause
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. root — of a plant
  12. capital — a city
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. capital — money
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. root — of a word
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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