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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: rule · prune · pop · perch · racket · mate · bulb · stem

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pop — soda
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rule — government
  8. stem — to come from
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mate — to breed
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rule — a law
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pop — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — a friend
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mate — a partner

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