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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: stock · chest · present · date · cue · nail · prune · suit

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. stock — goods
  3. cue — a signal
  4. present — the time now
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. present — there
  7. suit — clothes
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chest — a box
  10. prune — to trim
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cue — a hint
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stock — shares
  23. present — a gift
  24. prune — the fruit

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