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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: bowl · fork · stock · prune · rest · pitcher · mine · wave

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stock — goods
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rest — a break
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — shares
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mine — for digging

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