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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. band — a music group
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. band — a ring
  6. root — the cause
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kick — in football
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. root — of a word
  20. fork — in a road
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. staff — employees

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