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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: cell · staff · hide · press · stock · pit · kick · prune

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stock — goods
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pit — in a race
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cell — a phone
  12. kick — in football
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cell — in biology
  16. press — newspapers
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pit — a hole
  22. press — to push
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. kick — a thrill

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