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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: stem · bat · fork · mate · bulb · root · leaves · pop

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mate — a friend
  5. root — the cause
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mate — to breed
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pop — music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pop — soda
  22. root — of a word
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — 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