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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: snap · stock · mine · row · ball · bear · prune · deal

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mine — for digging
  6. row — a line
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. snap — to click
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a great time
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stock — shares
  22. deal — to handle
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — a big deal

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