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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 116 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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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: cue · present · bowl · trunk · mark · prune · stem · pitch

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cue — a signal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — the time now
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. present — there
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stem — to come from
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. prune — to trim
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bowl — a football final

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