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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: present · stem · mark · suit · safe · prune · scale · ground

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. suit — in cards
  3. present — there
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — crushed
  10. present — the time now
  11. scale — in music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mark — a trace
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — a position
  17. prune — to trim
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. present — a gift
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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