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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rule — a law
  5. last — to go on
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. root — of a word
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rule — government
  14. last — finally
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stock — goods
  20. last — final
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — shares
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rule — to rule out

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