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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: prune · mate · arm · chip · bulb · stem · firm · spell

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. firm — a company
  8. mate — to breed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. firm — steady
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. firm — decided
  16. mate — a friend
  17. spell — a short time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mate — a partner
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. spell — letters
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. spell — magic

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