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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: bulb · coach · prune · ground · game · spring · straw · stock

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. spring — of water
  9. ground — a position
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spring — a coil
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stock — shares
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. game — a match
  22. spring — the season
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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