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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: track · stem · racket · mate · cue · prune · pitcher · bass

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stem — to come from
  9. track — a song
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bass — low music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mate — a friend
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bass — the fish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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