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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.

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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stock — shares
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth

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