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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: stem · branch · date · cabinet · can · clip · present · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. date — the fruit
  5. can — to be able to
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pop — soda
  9. branch — a division
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — a video
  12. present — a gift
  13. stem — to come from
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. present — the time now
  17. can — a tin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — there
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stem — a stem cell

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