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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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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: mine · prune · stock · safe · suit · pitcher · shower · deal

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stock — goods
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. suit — to fit
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — in cards
  11. shower — rain
  12. mine — for digging
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stock — shares

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