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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cap — a hat
  4. staff — a stick
  5. field — a subject
  6. root — of a word
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bound — tied together
  11. field — farmland
  12. bound — certain
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. root — of a plant
  17. row — a line
  18. stem — to come from
  19. root — the cause
  20. field — for sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — employees
  24. cap — of ice

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