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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pop — music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. root — of a plant
  7. charge — a price
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. charge — in control
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stem — to come from
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — a group
  19. root — the cause
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. root — of a word
  22. snap — to click
  23. pop — to visit
  24. charge — electricity

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