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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. object — to protest
  5. field — farmland
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. root — the cause
  9. rash — a series
  10. field — for sport
  11. root — of a word
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. field — a subject
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rash — hasty
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — a committee
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. board — to get on
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. object — an aim

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