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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stock — shares
  4. wound — an injury
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wound — an injury
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. snap — to click
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stock — goods
  23. trunk — of a car
  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