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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mug — a face
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — of a plant
  7. file — a tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. file — a document
  13. present — the time now
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mug — a cup
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — to rob
  23. prune — to trim
  24. root — of a word

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