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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. row — to paddle
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. root — of a word
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. scale — size or range
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. season — in sport
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. scale — in music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. capital — money
  16. row — a line
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. capital — a city
  19. bass — low music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bass — the fish
  23. season — of the year
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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