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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 120 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 · suit · band · root · key · cell · race · mug

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. key — in music
  3. band — a ring
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mug — a cup
  7. race — humankind
  8. band — a music group
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. mug — a face
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. root — of a plant
  16. key — for a lock
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cell — in biology

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