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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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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 · foot · ball · game · bound · kick · stock · root

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bound — certain
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. bound — tied together
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. game — a match
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. game — wild animals
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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