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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — all right
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. root — of a word
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. foot — a measure
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. root — the cause
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fine — high quality
  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