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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: stem · roll · board · rush · prune · rest · pitcher · swing

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — to get on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. swing — in golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. roll — a cake
  21. board — a committee
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stem — to come from
  24. swing — music

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