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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · pass · root · stem · leaves · bowl · sharp · fall

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. root — of a word
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bowl — a football final

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