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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: cap · prune · foot · rush · straw · bark · racket · stock

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cap — of ice
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stock — shares
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cap — a hat
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stock — goods
  23. cap — a lid
  24. straw — a straw man

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