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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. row — a line
  7. root — of a word
  8. race — humankind
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — a contest
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. race — the arms race
  17. row — to paddle
  18. suit — to fit
  19. staff — a stick
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. root — the cause
  24. bulb — for light

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