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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stem — to come from
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. firm — steady
  14. root — the cause
  15. chair — a leader
  16. march — music
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. march — the month
  21. firm — a company
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — the month

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