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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. kid — child
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. firm — decided
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. board — to get on
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. root — of a plant
  14. board — a committee
  15. firm — a company
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kid — to tease
  18. firm — steady
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. root — of a word
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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