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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 120 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 · press · field · leaves · rock · bore · track · stock

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. press — a publisher
  2. track — a path
  3. stock — goods
  4. press — newspapers
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — shares
  7. rock — music
  8. press — to push
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — a subject
  11. rock — a stone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. track — a song
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. track — to keep track
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bore — to tire
  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