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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: prune · cell · stock · mug · mark · ball · leaves · safe

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — a face
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mark — a grade
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stock — goods
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — shares
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mug — to rob
  24. leaves — of a tree

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