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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: ruler · stock · prune · squash · snap · saw · pitch · net

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. net — in sport
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. saw — the tool
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. saw — the tool
  11. net — after costs
  12. stock — shares
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pitch — completely
  23. snap — to click
  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