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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — of a word
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pop — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. root — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pop — soda
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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