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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: root · fan · track · key · row · spring · spell · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. track — a song
  3. root — of a plant
  4. key — in music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spring — the season
  11. root — of a word
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. row — to paddle
  16. root — the cause
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spell — letters
  19. spring — of water
  20. row — a line
  21. spell — magic
  22. stem — to come from
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fan — to cool the air

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