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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.

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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 · roll · pop · stem · key · ground · wax · safe

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stem — to come from
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. root — the cause
  8. key — in music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pop — soda
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. key — for a lock
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. pop — music
  21. roll — a cake
  22. root — of a word
  23. roll — a list
  24. safe — out of danger

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