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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 · cabinet · pound · prune · can · mine · spring · suit

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. spring — the season
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pound — a weight
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. prune — to trim
  15. spring — of water
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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