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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.

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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: kid · net · leaves · stock · safe · prune · kick · content

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. content — the amount
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stock — shares
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. net — after costs
  16. kick — in football
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kid — child
  19. stock — goods
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. prune — to trim
  23. net — in sport
  24. leaves — of a tree

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