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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: object · cell · root · chair · pop · stand · bulb · club

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. root — the cause
  6. club — for golf
  7. pop — soda
  8. object — a thing
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pop — to visit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pop — music
  14. club — a group
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cell — a phone
  18. object — to protest
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. object — an aim
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chair — a professorship

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