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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. firm — steady
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — all right
  8. firm — a company
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — decided
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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