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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. root — the cause
  5. lean — to bend
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fine — all right
  8. root — of a word
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lean — thin
  15. season — of the year
  16. rule — a law
  17. season — in sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rule — government
  21. club — for golf
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stem — to come from
  24. club — for dancing

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