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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: can · saw · spring · prune · present · current · pitcher · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. present — the time now
  5. current — electric
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — of water
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. present — a gift
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. present — there
  23. current — happening now
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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