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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. root — of a word
  7. file — a line of people
  8. root — the cause
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stock — shares
  13. board — a committee
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — to get on
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. root — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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