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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 · bore · date · scale · board · band · present · prune

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. board — a committee
  3. date — the fruit
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. present — a gift
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. board — to get on
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. present — the time now
  15. bore — to tire
  16. present — there
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — in music
  21. band — a music group
  22. bore — to drill
  23. date — on the calendar
  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