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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rash — a series
  4. root — of a plant
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. present — there
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. root — the cause
  15. scale — in music
  16. root — of a word
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — to sink
  19. present — a gift
  20. fork — in a road
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rash — hasty

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