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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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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: fine · prune · stick · bat · firm · stock · fall · key

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. key — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. firm — steady
  14. stock — goods
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — the season
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fine — all right
  19. firm — a company
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. firm — decided
  23. stock — shares
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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