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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: prune · roll · court · wind · dip · mate · stem · rock

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. court — for sport
  9. roll — a list
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. court — of law
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — of a king
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rock — a stone
  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