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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cue — a signal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. clip — to cut
  9. root — of a word
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. charge — in control
  16. stem — to come from
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cue — a hint
  20. clip — a video
  21. root — the cause
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — a price

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