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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: jam · game · mine · foot · root · pitcher · stem · key

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. game — a match
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. game — wild animals
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — to come from
  19. root — the cause
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mine — for digging
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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