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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. track — a path
  3. lean — thin
  4. stock — goods
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pit — a hole
  7. root — the cause
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stock — shares
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ground — a position
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. root — of a word
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ground — the earth
  23. track — a song
  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