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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. track — a song
  3. firm — steady
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — a division
  6. firm — a company
  7. stem — to come from
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bound — tied together
  10. vault — a safe
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a path
  14. root — of a word
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. firm — decided
  18. bound — certain
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. root — the cause
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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