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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. root — of a word
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — the cause
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. board — a committee
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rest — a break
  13. stock — goods
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. root — of a plant
  20. board — to get on
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stock — shares
  24. rest — what's left

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