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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: stem · can · hand · bulb · track · date · leaves · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hand — help
  10. root — the cause
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. date — the fruit
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. root — of a plant
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. track — a path
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — in cards
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. can — to be able to
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. track — a song
  23. can — a tin
  24. stem — of a plant

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