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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: field · prune · stand · deal · stem · mouse · shower · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stand — to bear
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. shower — rain
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. field — for sport
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stem — to come from

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