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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · leaves · band · pit · stem · cabinet · safe · pitcher

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. band — a ring
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pit — in a race
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. band — a rubber band

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