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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. root — of a plant
  3. club — for golf
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. root — the cause
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stem — to come from
  9. swing — to play on
  10. club — a group
  11. cell — a phone
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cell — in biology
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. club — for dancing
  24. plane — a tool

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