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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. net — after costs
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. root — the cause
  9. stem — to come from
  10. roll — a list
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. root — of a plant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. root — of a word
  22. degree — temperature
  23. calf — of the leg
  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