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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: chair · pitch · nail · pop · stem · prune · safe · root

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pop — to visit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. root — of a plant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — music
  11. root — the cause
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pitch — completely
  19. root — of a word
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stem — to come from

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