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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: stock · prune · kick · racket · game · shower

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. game — wild animals
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. prune — to trim
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stock — shares
  16. game — a match
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. kick — with a leg

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