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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: fine · stem · prune · deal · swing · dip · sharp · bark

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. dip — to sink
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fine — high quality
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — all right
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. swing — music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. prune — the fruit

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