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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: roll · court · prune · can · stock · net · leaves · ruler

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of law
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. roll — a cake
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stock — goods
  11. prune — to trim
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. court — for sport
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — of a king
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. roll — a list
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — for catching

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