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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. charge — a price
  3. root — of a word
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. charge — in control
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stem — to come from
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. degree — temperature
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. degree — an amount
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. charge — electricity
  23. vault — a safe
  24. root — of a plant

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