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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 116 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: hand · prune · stand · game · cell · suit · ball · stock

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. prune — to trim
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ball — a great time
  7. suit — in cards
  8. game — a match
  9. stock — goods
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stand — to bear
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ball — a dance
  23. game — wild animals
  24. 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