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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: land · stem · prune · swing · temple · jam · pitcher · fall

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fall — the season
  4. prune — to trim
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fall — to drop
  7. land — to come down
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. land — a country
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fall — to drop
  15. swing — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. swing — to play on

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