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

Word bank: stem · wave · stick · club · bat · present · root · fine

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — high quality
  3. present — the time now
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. root — of a word
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. present — a gift
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. present — there
  17. club — a group
  18. root — the cause
  19. bat — the animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. club — for golf
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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