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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: staff · prune · rash · scale · sharp · foot · stock · ground

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. staff — employees
  3. scale — size or range
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ground — the earth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. scale — in music
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ground — a position
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. prune — to trim
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — goods
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rash — a series
  21. stock — shares
  22. ground — crushed
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rash — hasty

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