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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. root — of a plant
  3. club — for golf
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. file — a document
  9. net — for catching
  10. band — a ring
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. net — after costs
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. root — of a word
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. file — a tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. root — the cause
  24. band — a music group

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