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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stock — goods
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. club — a group
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. can — to be able to
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. can — a tin
  19. wind — moving air
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. club — for golf
  24. coach — a trainer

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