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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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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: stem · pass · stand · stock · pop · foot · root · season

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stock — goods
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. season — in sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pop — music
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stock — shares
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — of the year
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pop — to visit
  23. root — of a word
  24. pass — to spend time

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