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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. firm — a company
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. root — the cause
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. firm — decided
  9. content — happy
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bass — the fish
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. mark — a grade
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. root — of a word
  21. firm — steady
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stem — to come from

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