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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: stem · stand · pit · toast · root · kick

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pit — in a race
  3. toast — bread
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pit — a hole
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. root — of a word
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. root — the cause
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kick — in football

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