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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 ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. root — the cause
  3. present — there
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. root — of a word
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stem — to come from
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bass — low music
  12. game — a match
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. root — of a plant
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. present — a gift
  18. bass — the fish
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. present — the time now

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