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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. staff — employees
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stock — shares
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. staff — employees
  10. ground — a position
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cue — a signal
  15. net — after costs
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stem — to come from
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stock — goods

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