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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spell — magic
  3. stock — goods
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — in football
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. land — ground
  9. content — the amount
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stock — shares
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. spell — letters
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spell — a short time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — a country
  22. content — happy
  23. land — to come down
  24. ball — a great time

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