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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.

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: root · bulb · spell · pitch · pit · stem · temple · net

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pit — a hole
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spell — letters
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a word
  9. stem — to come from
  10. net — for catching
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spell — magic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitch — completely
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. net — after costs
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pit — in a race
  21. net — in sport
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stem — 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