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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 120 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 · bowl · stock · sharp · bass · rule · suit · spell

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. stock — shares
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. suit — to fit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — goods
  12. rule — government
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — clever
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. bass — low music
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bowl — a dish

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