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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: spring · fall · root · pass · court · toast · squash · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. root — the cause
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. toast — bread
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spring — the season
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fall — the season
  14. root — of a word
  15. fall — to drop
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spring — of water
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. court — of a king
  24. spring — a coil

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