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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. craft — boats
  3. root — of a word
  4. charge — a price
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cap — a hat
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. charge — electricity
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — of ice
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. charge — in control
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. clip — to cut
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cap — a lid
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. foot — a measure
  22. clip — a video
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. perch — the fish

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