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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: stem · root · prune · jam · degree · pitcher · current · rest

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. degree — temperature
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. root — the cause
  15. current — of water
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. current — electric
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rest — a break
  21. degree — an amount
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. current — happening now

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