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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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468
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: deal · stem · prune · hand · stand · charge · mate · racket

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. charge — in control
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — help
  23. mate — a friend
  24. racket — a loud noise

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