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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. prune — to trim
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ground — crushed
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stock — shares
  11. bank — for money
  12. stock — goods
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. ground — a position
  16. bank — for money
  17. ground — the earth
  18. nail — for a hammer

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