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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: mine · net · march · firm · straw · stem · root · ruler

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mine — for digging
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. net — for catching
  9. march — music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. root — the cause
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. firm — a company
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. firm — steady
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. march — the month
  22. net — after costs
  23. firm — decided
  24. net — in sport

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