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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: content · lash · track · rule · prune · stock · stand · net

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. net — in sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. content — happy
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. track — a song
  11. stock — goods
  12. content — the amount
  13. net — after costs
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stock — shares
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. track — a path
  22. prune — to trim
  23. net — for catching
  24. rule — a law

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