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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: prune · stock · sharp · chest · suit · jam · pit · date

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pit — in a race
  3. sharp — clever
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. suit — clothes
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stock — goods
  10. pit — a hole
  11. prune — to trim
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. suit — in cards
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — shares
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. date — the fruit
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. prune — to trim
  24. date — on the calendar

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