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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: squash · prune · kick · stock · spring · cap · craft · pound

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. craft — boats
  7. squash — the sport
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cap — a hat
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. stock — goods
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spring — of water
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pound — a weight
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. kick — with a leg

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