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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: club · mug · lie · toast · root · bulb · stem · degree

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. root — the cause
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — bread
  7. club — a group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — of a word
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mug — a face
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mug — to rob
  22. degree — an amount
  23. root — of a plant
  24. degree — temperature

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