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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · stand · last · cold · drill · racket · prune · stock

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stand — to bear
  3. drill — a practice
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — shares
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stock — goods
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — finally

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