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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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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: court · prune · rule · craft · stand · staff · stock · saw

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. craft — a skill
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. court — of law
  5. rule — government
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — shares
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stand — to bear
  14. staff — employees
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. court — of a king
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. court — for sport
  21. craft — boats
  22. rule — a law
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — goods

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