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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 120 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: stem · ground · prune · coach · fine · tube · fall · charge

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. charge — a price
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fall — the season
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. charge — in control
  19. fine — all right
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ground — a position
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. ground — crushed

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