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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · kid · ball · mouse · root · stem · pitcher · pop

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. date — the fruit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pop — soda
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stem — to come from
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. root — the cause
  15. kid — child
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — of a word
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pop — music
  24. kid — to tease

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