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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: date · game · stem · spring · coach · mate · season · root

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — of water
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spring — the season
  11. game — a match
  12. mate — to breed
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spring — a coil
  17. root — of a word
  18. mate — a partner
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stem — a stem cell

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