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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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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 · prune · swing · ball · pit · staff · rule · racket

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. swing — music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ball — a great time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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