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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: rest · ball · tube · saw · firm · prune · stock · pitch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rest — a break
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stock — shares
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. saw — the tool
  10. firm — decided
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. tube — a container
  16. firm — steady
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — a company
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. tube — in a tire

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