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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. object — to protest
  3. bound — obliged
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. object — an aim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. track — a path
  9. pitch — completely
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stock — shares
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — a song
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — a grade
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stock — goods

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