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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: wax · jam · stem · ball · pitch · root · key · deal

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ball — a dance
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. ball — a great time
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. key — the most important part
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. root — the cause
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pitch — completely
  19. root — of a word
  20. wax — to grow
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. root — of a plant

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