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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 · temple · prune · field · firm · foot · season · vault

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. field — for sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. field — a subject
  13. season — of the year
  14. foot — a measure
  15. firm — decided
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — steady
  18. prune — to trim
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stem — to come from
  21. field — farmland
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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