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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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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: foot · root · present · stem · fine · bowl · track · cold

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. root — of a word
  3. cold — not warm
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. root — the cause
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fine — all right
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. track — a song
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. foot — a measure
  20. present — the time now
  21. track — to keep track
  22. root — of a plant
  23. present — a gift
  24. track — a path

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