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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: leaves · season · mouse · stem · root · band · game · staff

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. band — a ring
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. root — the cause
  8. season — of the year
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. staff — a stick
  15. band — a music group
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — of a word
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. band — a rubber band

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