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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: net · coach · spring · bear · prune · temple · foot · stock

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — a coil
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. spring — of water
  6. net — for catching
  7. stock — goods
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. spring — the season
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. temple — side of the head

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