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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: drill · bass · prune · racket · key · foot · ground · stock

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. drill — army training
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stock — goods
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bass — low music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stock — shares
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ground — crushed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — a position
  20. key — in music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bass — the instrument

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