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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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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: cap · snap · root · stem · club · last · game · branch

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cap — a lid
  3. game — a match
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. root — the cause
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stem — to come from
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. root — of a plant
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. last — to go on
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. branch — a division
  22. snap — to click
  23. game — wild animals
  24. root — of a word

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