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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. object — a thing
  5. prune — to trim
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. object — an aim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. object — to protest
  16. stock — shares
  17. band — a music group
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. prune — to trim
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bowl — to roll

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