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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: prune · toast · dip · tear · bass · court · safe · stock

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. court — of law
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. tear — from crying
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stock — shares
  7. tear — to rip
  8. court — for sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — to sink
  11. court — of a king
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. toast — bread
  15. tear — from crying
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bass — low music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stock — goods
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. dip — to dunk

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