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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chair — a leader
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. root — of a word
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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