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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: bulb · root · kick · stem · land · kid · rash · chip

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — to come from
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rash — a series
  9. chip — for betting
  10. land — ground
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. land — a country
  14. root — the cause
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kid — child
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. root — of a word
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — to come down

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