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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: pass · bass · tube · racket · perch · cell · prune · stem

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tube — a container
  5. cell — in biology
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cell — a phone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. prune — to trim
  19. perch — the fish
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stem — to come from

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