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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. object — an aim
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. object — to protest
  7. stem — to come from
  8. field — a subject
  9. pound — a weight
  10. root — of a word
  11. object — a thing
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. field — farmland
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. field — for sport
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a line
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. row — to paddle

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