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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: bass · dip · drill · mine · prune · stem · pass · bulb

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bass — the fish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bass — low music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mine — for digging
  14. drill — army training
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stem — to come from
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pass — a permit

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