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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stock — shares
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pitch — completely
  9. swing — music
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rule — a law
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rule — government
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cap — of ice
  19. swing — to play on
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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