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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mate — to breed
  3. object — an aim
  4. root — the cause
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mate — a partner
  8. field — for sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. charge — a price
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mate — a friend
  13. charge — electricity
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — a subject
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. object — to protest
  18. root — of a plant
  19. charge — in control
  20. saw — the tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stem — to come from

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