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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 116 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. root — of a word
  4. fall — the season
  5. land — a country
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. root — of a plant
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. root — the cause
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. saw — the tool

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