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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: bank · staff · pit · bark · present · stock · season · prune

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bank — of a river
  3. season — of the year
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — to shout
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bank — for money
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. season — in sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stock — goods
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — a gift
  18. stock — shares
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — in a race
  23. staff — employees
  24. prune — the fruit

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