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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. firm — decided
  3. ball — a great time
  4. firm — steady
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pound — a weight
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a dance
  9. root — of a word
  10. hand — help
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. game — a match
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hand — in cards
  21. firm — a company
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  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