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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: swing · stick · file · prune · bowl · racket · stock · leaves

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. file — a tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. file — a document
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stock — goods
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a line of people
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stock — shares
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. swing — in golf
  24. prune — to trim

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