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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. content — happy
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bear — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. root — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. content — the amount
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — of ice

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