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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — goods
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. firm — decided
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spell — letters
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. firm — steady
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stock — shares
  16. spell — magic
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — a company
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. stock — a soup base

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