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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: stem · net · chip · file · prune · trunk · can · cap

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. file — a document
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cap — of ice
  6. file — a tool
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. net — after costs
  12. cap — a hat
  13. net — for catching
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chip — for betting
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. net — in sport
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cap — a lid
  24. can — to be able to

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