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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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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: bear · prune · bulb · stock · sharp · ground · dip · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. 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. stock — goods
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — a measure
  17. sharp — clever
  18. dip — to sink
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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