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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: suit · prune · key · calf · leaves · cold · spring · stock

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cold — not warm
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spring — of water
  5. key — in music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. suit — to fit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. stock — shares
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. stock — goods
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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