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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: roll · prune · mouse · fall · mark · pop · rash · stock

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. roll — a list
  4. pop — to visit
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rash — a series
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stock — goods
  17. pop — soda
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. prune — to trim

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