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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: deal · mug · ground · date · prune · pop · stem · temple

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pop — soda
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — crushed
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — to trim
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mug — a face
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stem — to come from
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pop — music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ground — a position
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ground — the earth

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