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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fine — all right
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. root — the cause
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mark — a trace
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stem — of a plant

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