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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 116 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
468
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: land · bowl · press · stock · prune · club · pit · bark

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. club — a group
  3. land — a country
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. press — to push
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. press — newspapers
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. land — to come down
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stock — goods
  19. press — a publisher
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. club — for golf
  22. land — ground
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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