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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. field — farmland
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. root — the cause
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. field — a subject
  10. march — the month
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. field — for sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. march — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. board — a committee

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