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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: dip · track · stem · branch · season · stand · pop · root

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pop — soda
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. pop — music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. dip — to sink
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. root — of a word
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. track — a path
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stem — to come from
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. dip — to dunk

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