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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: net · root · bowl · date · stem · cap

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. root — of a word
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cap — a hat
  10. net — for catching
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — after costs
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. net — in sport
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant

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