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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: nail · stock · prune · rush · trunk · firm · march · row

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stock — shares
  3. firm — steady
  4. march — music
  5. firm — decided
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — a company
  8. row — to paddle
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stock — goods
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. march — the month
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — hurry
  19. row — a line
  20. prune — to trim
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rush — to hurry

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