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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. suit — clothes
  7. track — a song
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. clip — to cut
  10. suit — in cards
  11. root — of a plant
  12. suit — to fit
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. clip — for paper
  18. degree — temperature
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. degree — an amount
  21. branch — a division
  22. degree — from a university
  23. clip — a video
  24. pound — for dogs

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