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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 120 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: stick · prune · arm · bass · bat · deal · stock · lash

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — goods
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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