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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: ball · racket · race · stem · lash · suit · prune · mark

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mark — a trace
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. suit — clothes
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. race — a contest
  22. mark — a grade
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ball — a dance

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