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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: wound · cabinet · root · pit · cell · stock · prune · can

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — in a race
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stock — goods
  7. pit — a hole
  8. root — the cause
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. root — of a word
  15. can — a tin
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — shares
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. root — of a plant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cell — a phone
  23. wound — an injury
  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