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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: can · cell · prune · drill · march · stem · club · calf

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — to be able to
  7. prune — to trim
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. club — a group
  11. stem — to come from
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. can — a tin
  17. drill — army training
  18. cell — in biology
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. march — the month
  22. club — for dancing
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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