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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. root — of a word
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. court — of a king
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. root — the cause
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. court — for sport
  17. chair — a leader
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cap — a hat
  24. court — of law

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