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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. field — a subject
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cell — in biology
  6. field — for sport
  7. root — of a plant
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cell — a phone
  11. field — farmland
  12. scale — in music
  13. pop — soda
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pop — to visit
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. row — a line
  22. pop — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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