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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. root — the cause
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fork — in a road
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. root — of a word
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — farmland
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. spring — of water
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. spring — the season
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fork — a garden tool

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