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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · track · prune · squash · stock · cabinet · kick · march

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stock — shares
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. track — a path
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stock — goods
  17. pit — in a race
  18. squash — to crush
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. prune — to trim

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