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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: degree · ruler · prune · stem · calf · bulb · mate · land

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — ground
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mate — a partner
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. land — a country
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. degree — an amount
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — a friend
  21. land — to come down
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — for light
  24. degree — from a university

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