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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: pit · roll · cold · stock · prune · mouse · board · club

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. prune — to trim
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stock — shares
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — goods
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. club — a group
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pit — in a race
  23. club — for golf
  24. cold — not warm

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