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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. key — for a lock
  3. root — of a word
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — the cause
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cell — in biology
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. root — of a plant
  12. key — in music
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. key — the most important part
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. field — for sport
  24. cell — in a prison

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