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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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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 · rock · stem · dip · trunk · bass · race · kick

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. kick — in football
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. race — a contest
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bass — low music
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. root — of a word
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. race — the arms race
  16. dip — to sink
  17. race — humankind
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. root — the cause
  23. stem — to come from
  24. dip — to dunk

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