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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: bulb · prune · sharp · ground · coach · arm · stand · stem

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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