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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: bulb · prune · pit · stock · rash · land · hand · pop

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — goods
  5. land — ground
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — music
  8. hand — help
  9. land — a country
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rash — a series
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — to come down
  24. pop — to visit

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