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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: field · club · prune · stick · stock · bear · calf · ball

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — goods
  5. ball — a dance
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stock — shares
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. field — farmland

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