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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: pop · prune · racket · fine · suit · stem · season · pitcher

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pop — music
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stem — to come from
  14. season — in sport
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — in cards
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pop — to visit
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fine — all right
  24. racket — for tennis

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