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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. land — to come down
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — a match
  8. staff — employees
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pass — a permit
  13. root — of a word
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — a measure
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. land — ground
  18. staff — a stick
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. land — a country
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. root — of a plant

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