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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. suit — clothes
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rock — a stone
  8. land — a country
  9. game — a match
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. land — ground
  12. stock — goods
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stock — shares
  15. wax — to grow
  16. suit — in cards
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stem — to come from
  23. root — of a word
  24. rock — music

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