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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. object — a thing
  6. sharp — clever
  7. root — of a word
  8. object — an aim
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — to sink
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. vault — a safe
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. root — of a plant
  21. scale — in music
  22. root — the cause
  23. scale — size or range
  24. dip — a sauce

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