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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stem — to come from
  8. track — a path
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. track — to keep track
  12. root — of a word
  13. track — a song
  14. craft — a skill
  15. game — a match
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. game — wild animals
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bound — obliged
  24. trunk — of a car

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