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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stem — to come from
  3. drill — army training
  4. root — the cause
  5. drill — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lean — thin
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lean — to bend
  15. net — in sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — after costs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — for catching
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — to rest against

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