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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 120 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: root · fan · cap · swing · court · kick · stem · race

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. root — the cause
  3. race — the arms race
  4. swing — in golf
  5. court — of a king
  6. kick — in football
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. court — of law
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — for sport
  13. race — a contest
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cap — of ice
  16. race — humankind
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. root — of a plant
  20. swing — music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fan — a supporter
  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