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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. march — music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fall — the season
  5. fine — high quality
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fine — all right
  8. root — of a word
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fall — to drop
  13. net — in sport
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. fork — in a road
  20. march — the month
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. march — the month
  24. net — after costs

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