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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: fine · can · game · rest · stock · band · kick · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. game — a match
  10. kick — in football
  11. rest — a break
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. can — to be able to
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — shares
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stock — goods
  20. fine — all right
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a ring

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