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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
468
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: spell · season · stock · lie · patient · prune · track · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lie — to recline
  3. spell — a short time
  4. season — of the year
  5. stock — shares
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. stock — goods
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. prune — to trim
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spell — magic
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — letters
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. season — in sport

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