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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. club — for golf
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. root — of a plant
  5. current — of water
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. row — to paddle
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stem — to come from
  18. club — a group
  19. row — a line
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. club — for dancing
  24. deal — a big deal

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