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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · arm · root · scale · mine · stem · staff · jam

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. scale — in music
  6. root — the cause
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. root — of a word
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. staff — employees
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mine — for digging
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. scale — size or range

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