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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. root — of a word
  4. stem — to come from
  5. board — a committee
  6. root — the cause
  7. staff — employees
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. object — a thing
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — goods
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stock — shares
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. object — an aim
  19. staff — a stick
  20. object — to protest
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. root — of a plant
  24. staff — employees

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