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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · hand · stock · bulb · board · sharp · nail · perch

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — a committee
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hand — in cards
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stock — shares
  14. perch — the fish
  15. sharp — clever
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — goods
  18. board — to get on
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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