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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — the cause
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. root — of a word
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. club — for golf
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. club — a group
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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