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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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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 · toast · sharp · stem · pop · last · bowl · branch

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pop — soda
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. pop — music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stem — to come from
  13. last — finally
  14. toast — bread
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. root — the cause
  17. pop — to visit
  18. last — to go on
  19. root — of a word
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. sharp — clever
  22. last — final
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. sharp — with an edge

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