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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bear — the animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. bear — the animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. can — to be able to

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