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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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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: prune · stick · branch · stock · bulb · foot · rush · fall

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stock — goods
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fall — to drop
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. branch — a division
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rush — a thrill

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