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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. root — of a word
  4. ball — a great time
  5. net — after costs
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ball — a dance
  8. land — ground
  9. kick — in football
  10. land — to come down
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — in sport
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. face — to confront
  17. land — a country
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. net — for catching
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bank — of a river

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