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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · bay · bowl · prune · net · stock · rock · plane

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stock — shares
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. net — after costs
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stock — goods
  16. net — for catching
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stock — a soup base

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