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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 116 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 · pitcher · season · degree · stock · fine · stick · hide

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. degree — from a university
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — goods
  5. season — of the year
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. season — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  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