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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 116 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: prune · bat · safe · ball · fan · pop · stock · rest

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ball — a dance
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stock — shares
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pop — to visit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — goods
  15. pop — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bat — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pop — soda
  22. rest — a break
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rest — what's left

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