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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pitch — completely
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. suit — to fit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kick — in football
  24. bound — certain

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