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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. key — the most important part
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. field — farmland
  7. key — in music
  8. field — for sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — the sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. root — of a word
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — magic
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. squash — to crush
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. board — a committee
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. stem — to come from

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