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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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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: vault · root · branch · jam · mouse · pit · stem · racket

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pit — in a race
  7. root — the cause
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. stem — to come from
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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