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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — in golf
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stand — to bear
  6. root — the cause
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. root — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a word
  12. ground — a position
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. roll — a list
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stem — to come from
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. swing — music
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. roll — a cake

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