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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — of a word
  5. net — after costs
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stand — to bear
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. net — in sport
  13. vault — a safe
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. spring — a coil
  19. net — for catching
  20. spring — the season
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. shower — rain
  23. spring — of water
  24. patient — a sick person

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