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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stock — goods
  5. firm — steady
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. firm — decided
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rash — hasty
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — a company
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rash — a series
  22. wake — a trail
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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