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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: ruler · cap · stem · root · bulb · game · land · branch

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. land — a country
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bulb — for light
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cap — a lid
  11. game — a match
  12. land — to come down
  13. cap — of ice
  14. root — of a plant
  15. branch — a division
  16. root — of a word
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. root — the cause
  22. land — ground
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bulb — 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