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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 120 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rest — a break
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — part of the head
  9. court — of law
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. root — the cause
  16. face — to confront
  17. court — for sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rest — what's left

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