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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: coach · mine · root · bulb · fork · cabinet · roll · stem

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. roll — a cake
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mine — for digging
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. roll — a list
  22. root — of a word
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mine — belonging to me

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