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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. root — of a plant
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. root — of a word
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stem — to come from
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. root — the cause
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. pit — a hole
  20. board — to get on
  21. content — the amount
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stem — a stem cell

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