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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: stem · vault · foot · saw · cabinet · prune · field · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. saw — the tool
  3. foot — a measure
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. saw — the tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. field — for sport
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stem — of a plant

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