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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — shares
  5. present — a gift
  6. cue — a hint
  7. land — ground
  8. cue — for pool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. present — there
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. land — to come down
  14. cue — a signal
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stock — goods
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. suit — to fit
  20. present — the time now
  21. land — a country
  22. root — the cause
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. suit — clothes

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