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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: court · mug · prune · safe · game · squash · snap · stock

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. mug — a cup
  9. squash — the sport
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. court — for sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — to rob
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mug — a face
  20. court — of law
  21. game — wild animals
  22. court — of a king
  23. game — a match
  24. stock — a soup base

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