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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: court · club · cabinet · root · stem · file · ball · temple

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. court — of a king
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. file — a tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. club — a group
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. club — for golf
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. file — a line of people
  14. root — of a word
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a document
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a dance
  20. root — the cause
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ball — a great time
  24. root — of a plant

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