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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: stand · leaves · mate · squash · bark · prune · stock · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stock — shares
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bark — to shout
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stock — goods
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. row — a line
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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