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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. band — a music group
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. band — a ring
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stock — shares
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ground — the earth
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lean — thin
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ground — a position
  18. lean — to bend
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. suit — in cards
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stock — goods
  24. ground — crushed

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