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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: sharp · prune · bay · stock · track · can · march · lash

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. sharp — clever
  3. track — to keep track
  4. can — to be able to
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. can — a tin
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. march — music
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. prune — to trim
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — a tin

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