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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: chip · root · fall · stem · calf · mine · pitcher · bowl

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — the cause
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fall — to drop
  7. root — of a plant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fall — to drop
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — to eat
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — the season

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