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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 120 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 · season · cue · fine · prune · swing · temple · deal

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. season — of the year
  6. fine — all right
  7. stem — to come from
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — a signal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — high quality
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cue — a hint
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cue — for pool
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — in sport
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. swing — in golf

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