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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — the cause
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. root — of a word
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. squash — the sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ground — a position
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — the earth

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