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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.

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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: prune · stock · spell · safe · sharp · rule · net · calf

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rule — a law
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stock — goods
  6. spell — magic
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. net — for catching
  11. spell — letters
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stock — shares
  18. net — after costs
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. net — in sport
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rule — government
  24. stock — a soup base

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