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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 120 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: stock · prune · fan · cue · scale · racket · foot · board

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stock — goods
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cue — a signal
  11. board — a committee
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stock — shares
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. cue — a hint
  17. foot — a measure
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fan — a supporter

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