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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · foot · coach · track · prune · safe · stock · snap

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. track — a path
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. foot — a measure
  11. track — a song
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stock — shares
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stock — goods
  20. squash — the sport
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. track — to keep track
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. squash — the vegetable

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