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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: hide · prune · mine · cell · firm · object · row · stock

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stock — shares
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stock — goods
  6. object — to protest
  7. row — to paddle
  8. object — a thing
  9. firm — steady
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — an aim
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. firm — a company
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cell — a phone
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — a line
  24. firm — decided

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