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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. object — to protest
  3. rule — a law
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pass — a permit
  8. cap — a lid
  9. object — a thing
  10. branch — a division
  11. object — an aim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. root — the cause
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. scale — in music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rule — government
  24. root — of a word

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