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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. root — of a word
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — of a plant
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. board — a committee
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stock — shares
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. dip — to sink
  15. board — to get on
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. root — the cause
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stock — goods
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stock — a soup base

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