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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. root — the cause
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — of the year
  9. root — of a word
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stem — to come from
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — a signal
  18. season — in sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. board — to get on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cue — for pool
  24. safe — a strongbox

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