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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rush — hurry
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rest — a break
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  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