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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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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 · rush · cap · land · trunk · race · prune · fork

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. land — ground
  3. cap — a lid
  4. land — a country
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. land — to come down
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stem — to come from
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. race — a contest
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cap — of ice
  24. trunk — of a car

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