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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: bear · current · stock · degree · spell · fan · prune · stem

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spell — magic
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stock — shares
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. degree — an amount
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. current — happening now
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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