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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fork — in a road
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. row — a line
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. root — the cause
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — a leader
  19. root — of a word
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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