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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. root — of a plant
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stem — to come from
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. root — of a word
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. march — music
  21. root — the cause
  22. fine — all right
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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