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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: trunk · club · kid · prune · stem · arm · stock · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. stock — goods
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. roll — a list
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — to come from
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stock — shares
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. kid — child
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. club — for dancing
  18. roll — a cake
  19. club — a group
  20. kid — to tease
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — for golf

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