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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: toast · bass · cap · fan · cell · root · stem · racket

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. root — the cause
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cap — a hat
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cap — of ice
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — in biology
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bass — low music
  21. root — of a word
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cell — a phone
  24. toast — bread

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