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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: arm · mark · pitcher · stem · date · kick · dip · prune

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. dip — to sink
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pitcher — a jug

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