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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · cell · root · chair · pop · stand

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pop — soda
  4. root — the cause
  5. object — a thing
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. object — to protest
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pop — to visit
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cell — in biology
  16. object — an aim
  17. pop — music
  18. root — of a word

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