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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. club — for golf
  5. fine — all right
  6. pitch — completely
  7. court — of law
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. court — for sport
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. root — of a word
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rest — a break
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rest — what's left
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. club — a group
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — to trim
  23. court — of a king
  24. prune — to trim

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