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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. roll — a cake
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. firm — a company
  12. stock — shares
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. key — the most important part
  15. sharp — clever
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stock — goods
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. roll — a list

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