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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: ball · squash · object · prune · cap · stock · net · trunk

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. net — in sport
  3. object — to protest
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. net — for catching
  11. ball — a dance
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stock — goods
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cap — of ice
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stock — shares
  20. net — after costs
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — a thing
  24. squash — to crush

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