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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: pop · prune · present · shower · stock · leaves · sharp · scale

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. scale — size or range
  6. sharp — clever
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stock — goods
  9. pop — to visit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. scale — in music
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — to wash
  16. prune — to trim
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. shower — rain
  21. present — there
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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