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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: ball · bat · temple · pass · mouse · root · stem · bulb

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. root — of a word
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ball — a dance
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — a stem cell

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