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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: root · stem · tube · squash · bass · mine · rush · prune

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. squash — to crush
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — low music
  11. tube — a container
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rush — hurry
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bass — the fish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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