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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. chest — of your body
  6. present — the time now
  7. wake — a trail
  8. field — farmland
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chip — to eat
  12. root — of a word
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. field — a subject
  16. present — there
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chip — for betting
  19. present — a gift
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pass — a permit
  22. field — for sport
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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