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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: pit · stem · club · scale · jam · chair · root · mine

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. root — of a word
  6. scale — in music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. root — the cause
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. club — a group
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pit — in a race
  13. club — for golf
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mine — for digging
  20. root — of a plant
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pit — a hole
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chair — a leader

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