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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 116 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: tube · bound · file · prune · fork · stem · staff · pop

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. staff — a stick
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. staff — employees
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bound — certain
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. staff — employees
  15. file — a document
  16. prune — to trim
  17. file — a tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stem — to come from
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pop — 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