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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: game · net · stem · march · root · cue · craft · bass

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. net — for catching
  5. cue — for pool
  6. net — after costs
  7. root — of a plant
  8. march — music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. march — the month
  11. game — a match
  12. cue — a hint
  13. craft — boats
  14. bass — the fish
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. march — the month
  17. root — the cause
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. root — of a word
  21. bass — low music
  22. craft — a skill
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. net — in 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