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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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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: stem · club · rock · prune · fan · root · kid · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. root — the cause
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kid — to tease
  11. root — of a word
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. club — for golf
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. club — a group
  19. rest — a break
  20. stem — to come from
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kid — child

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