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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cap — a lid
  5. court — of law
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. court — of a king
  11. root — the cause
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — of a word
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. court — for sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. shower — rain

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