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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pound — a weight
  3. root — of a word
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. scale — in music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. stem — to come from
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lie — to recline
  15. root — the cause
  16. fall — the season
  17. club — for golf
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. root — of a plant
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fall — to drop

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