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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · court · lean · bark · stock · ground · toast · ruler

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ground — crushed
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. lean — to bend
  5. court — of law
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lean — thin
  9. toast — bread
  10. stock — goods
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stock — shares
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. court — of a king
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bark — to shout
  24. court — for sport

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