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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. root — the cause
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. land — to come down
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rest — a break
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. land — a country
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. stem — to come from
  20. land — ground
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — in an idiom

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