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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — a container
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a word
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bass — low music
  16. cue — a hint
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — to trim
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cue — a signal

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