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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: content · stem · bulb · mug · field · club · prune · pass

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. club — a group
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mug — a face
  9. content — happy
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bulb — for light
  17. field — a subject
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. field — farmland
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. club — for golf
  24. field — for sport

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