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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. dip — to sink
  10. club — a group
  11. prune — to trim
  12. toast — bread
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. club — for golf
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. club — for dancing
  20. sharp — clever
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stock — shares

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