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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. capital — a city
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. field — for sport
  11. chair — a leader
  12. field — a subject
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. saw — the tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. field — farmland
  18. capital — money
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. root — of a word
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. capital — a big letter

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