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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: lean · fine · craft · stock · mark · scale · trunk · prune

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stock — shares
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — thin
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. craft — a skill
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. scale — in music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fine — high quality
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mark — a grade
  23. craft — boats
  24. scale — size or range

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