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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 · stock · mug · bat · bear · pop · cue · stick

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — shares
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cue — a hint
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — goods
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mug — a face
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — a signal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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