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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · drill · roll · club · rock · game · arm · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. game — a match
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. drill — army training
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rock — a stone
  13. drill — the tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. drill — a practice
  17. root — the cause
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. game — wild animals
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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