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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. can — to be able to
  5. root — of a word
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — shares
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. can — a tin
  11. current — happening now
  12. stem — to come from
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. current — of water
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stock — goods
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — electric
  24. prune — to trim

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