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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. last — final
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pop — to visit
  19. last — to go on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stock — shares
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stock — goods

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