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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. band — a music group
  3. net — after costs
  4. band — a ring
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — for catching
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. firm — a company
  14. chip — to eat
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. firm — steady
  17. root — of a plant
  18. firm — decided
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chip — for betting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. root — of a word
  24. net — in sport

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