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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: drill · degree · foot · stem · staff · mate · root · bank

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. mate — to breed
  6. drill — army training
  7. bank — for money
  8. mate — a friend
  9. root — the cause
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bank — of a river
  12. staff — employees
  13. degree — an amount
  14. staff — employees
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. drill — a practice
  18. degree — from a university
  19. root — of a plant
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — the tool

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