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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. root — of a word
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. root — the cause
  6. stem — to come from
  7. land — ground
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. root — of a plant
  10. land — to come down
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. charge — in control
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. land — a country
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tube — a container
  21. charge — a price
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. charge — electricity

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