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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: trunk · racket · lean · prune · dip · rock · mark · stock

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stock — goods
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lean — thin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mark — a trace
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mark — a grade
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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