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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: stem · spring · pop · court · root · present · prune · firm

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pop — to visit
  4. spring — the season
  5. court — of law
  6. present — a gift
  7. court — for sport
  8. present — the time now
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pop — soda
  12. present — there
  13. root — the cause
  14. prune — to trim
  15. firm — decided
  16. spring — a coil
  17. firm — a company
  18. root — of a word
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. court — of a king
  21. firm — steady
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spring — of water
  24. pop — music

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