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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: toast · prune · fine · stock · tube · content · racket · rash

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — the underground
  3. prune — to trim
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. content — the amount
  9. tube — a container
  10. fine — high quality
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stock — shares
  16. rash — a series
  17. toast — bread
  18. fine — all right
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. content — happy

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