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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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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: land · stem · root · pitch · bass · hand · can · chip

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. hand — help
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. land — to come down
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. can — to be able to
  10. land — ground
  11. chip — for betting
  12. root — of a plant
  13. chip — to eat
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. land — a country
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bass — low music
  24. chip — in a computer

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