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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: board · prune · stick · stock · kid · sharp · bulb · fan

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. board — to get on
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kid — child
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. board — a committee
  18. prune — to trim
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — to tease
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — the fruit

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