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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: game · stock · spell · swing · cue · stem · pitcher · prune

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cue — for pool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. spell — letters
  11. stock — goods
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stock — shares
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cue — a hint
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — magic
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cue — a signal

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