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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: stem · prune · cue · bound · date · mark · craft · game

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mark — a trace
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cue — for pool
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. prune — to trim
  11. craft — boats
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stem — to come from
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cue — a signal
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. game — a match
  23. bound — certain
  24. date — on the calendar

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