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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: rash · stem · root · field · nail · bass · mate · pound

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. field — a subject
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bass — low music
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rash — a series
  12. field — farmland
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bass — the fish
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. root — of a word
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. field — for sport

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