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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: swing · stem · tear · stock · root · pass · ground · date

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. root — the cause
  3. ground — the earth
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. swing — music
  7. tear — to rip
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. date — the fruit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — goods
  17. stem — to come from
  18. root — of a word
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stock — shares
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ground — a position
  24. swing — in golf

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