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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: wound · chip · bulb · prune · rock · stem · net · dip

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. net — after costs
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. net — in sport
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chip — to eat
  14. dip — to sink
  15. net — for catching
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rock — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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