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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: prune · stock · jam · fine · ruler · safe · wound · branch

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. prune — to trim
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fine — high quality
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fine — all right
  20. branch — a division
  21. stock — goods
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. branch — of a bank

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