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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — shares
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. root — the cause
  6. cue — a signal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stock — goods
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. root — of a plant
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stem — to come from
  17. game — a match
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cue — for pool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. swing — music
  23. root — of a word
  24. swing — to play on

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