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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — a hole
  3. firm — decided
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — steady
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mark — a trace
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stock — shares
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stock — goods
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. firm — a company
  19. sharp — clever
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mark — a grade

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