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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. track — a song
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rash — hasty
  5. scale — in music
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. root — the cause
  8. scale — size or range
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. track — to keep track
  13. board — to get on
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rash — a series
  16. root — of a word
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. track — a path
  19. root — of a plant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. board — a committee
  23. foot — a measure
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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