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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 · content · stem · firm · calf · bass · court · game

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. firm — decided
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. content — happy
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. firm — steady
  14. bass — the fish
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. game — wild animals
  17. content — the amount
  18. court — of a king
  19. firm — a company
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. stem — to come from
  23. game — a match
  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