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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: fall · sharp · root · clip · stem · cabinet · racket · pit

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. root — the cause
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. clip — a video
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. clip — to cut
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — a hole
  24. clip — for paper

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