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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 120 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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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: stock · rule · saw · net · track · bay · wake · prune

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. track — a song
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. track — to keep track
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stock — goods
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. track — a path
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stock — shares
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. net — for catching
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — after costs

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