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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
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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: root · stem · court · pass · rash · bowl · net · key

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. root — the cause
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. net — in sport
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. key — the most important part
  15. root — of a word
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. court — of law
  18. net — after costs
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. key — in music
  22. net — for catching
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stem — to come from

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