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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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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: spell · wound · calf · firm · pit · press · stock · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. spell — magic
  4. wound — an injury
  5. spell — letters
  6. prune — to trim
  7. press — to push
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. firm — a company
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pit — in a race
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. stock — goods
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stock — shares
  21. firm — decided
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wound — an injury
  24. calf — of the 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