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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: leaves · pass · field · mate · prune · tube · stem · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. tube — a container
  5. field — farmland
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. field — for sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mate — to breed
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — to come from
  15. tube — the underground
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stock — goods
  19. mate — a partner
  20. field — a subject
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — a friend

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