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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. root — of a word
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — the cause
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. current — electric
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bowl — to roll

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