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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: fork · arm · prune · fine · mouse · saw · pass · stock

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. saw — the tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pass — a permit
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stock — shares
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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