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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. root — of a plant
  3. file — a line of people
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spring — of water
  9. file — a tool
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — the cause
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cap — of ice
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — of a word
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spring — the season
  22. can — a tin
  23. file — a document
  24. tube — the underground

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