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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. root — of a plant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. root — of a word
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fine — all right
  16. hand — help
  17. mark — a grade
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. hand — in cards
  20. root — the cause
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mark — a trace

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