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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: prune · rash · firm · stock · net · suit · bank · cold

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cold — not warm
  3. rash — a series
  4. bank — for money
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. firm — a company
  8. rash — hasty
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bank — for money
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — decided
  14. suit — in cards
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bank — of a river
  19. firm — steady
  20. stock — goods
  21. net — in sport
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rash — on the skin

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