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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: racket · present · stem · calf · prune · field · file · cap

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. present — a gift
  3. file — a line of people
  4. prune — to trim
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a document
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stem — to come from
  18. field — farmland
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cap — of ice
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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