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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.

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: prune · bank · net · snap · stock · trunk · pit · ball

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. net — for catching
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to click
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stock — shares
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stock — goods
  16. net — in sport
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pit — a hole
  20. net — after costs
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bank — of a river
  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