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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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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: suit · ball · chip · present · prune · pop · stem · degree

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pop — soda
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. suit — in cards
  7. present — there
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — to trim
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. present — a gift
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — for betting
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pop — music
  23. present — the time now
  24. pop — to visit

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