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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · court · foot · stock · plane · lean

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stock — goods
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. court — of law
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stock — shares

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