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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bore — to tire
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. club — a group
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. bore — to drill
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bat — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. prune — to trim
  24. land — ground

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