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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.

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: fine · root · pass · lean · stem · pitcher · club · mark

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — the cause
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. root — of a word
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fine — all right
  19. lean — to bend
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stem — to come from

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