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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 116 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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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: stem · track · hand · press · tube · mark · root · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rule — a law
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. press — to push
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hand — help
  15. press — newspapers
  16. tube — a container
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rule — government
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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