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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. row — to paddle
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — a match
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — shares
  10. game — wild animals
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. spring — of water
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. spring — the season
  20. stock — goods
  21. spring — a coil
  22. row — a line
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. row — a quarrel

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