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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: prune · can · mine · mouse · stem · foot · board · mark

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. can — a tin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — to get on
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mouse — the animal

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