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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: prune · present · stem · bear · spring · pit · net · swing

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spring — a coil
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. present — there
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — the time now
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pit — in a race
  18. net — in sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. spring — the season
  22. net — after costs
  23. present — a gift
  24. spring — of water

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