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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: bark · prune · plane · stock · squash · mate · bore · object

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bark — to shout
  3. squash — to crush
  4. prune — to trim
  5. object — an aim
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. object — to protest
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bore — to tire
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. squash — the sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. object — a thing
  23. stock — goods
  24. bore — gave birth

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