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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 I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. track — a path
  5. rule — government
  6. root — the cause
  7. stem — to come from
  8. track — a song
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pop — soda
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rule — a law
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. root — of a word
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pop — 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