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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: suit · stock · pound · bat · prune · bark · track · mug

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stock — goods
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mug — a face
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. suit — to fit
  14. track — to keep track
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. track — a song
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. track — a path
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. prune — to trim

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