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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. squash — the sport
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cap — a hat
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — to get on
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. land — to come down
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. land — ground
  19. cap — a lid
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cap — of ice
  22. land — a country
  23. board — a committee
  24. squash — the vegetable

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