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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
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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: key · root · stem · pop · mouse · band · fine · chip

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chip — for betting
  11. key — in music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. stem — to come from
  15. key — the most important part
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pop — music
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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