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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · object · prune · mouse · game · date · stem · toast

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stem — to come from
  4. fine — all right
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. game — a match
  12. toast — bread
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. prune — to trim

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