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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bulb — for light
  3. plane — a tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. squash — to crush
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stock — shares
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stock — goods
  24. prune — to trim

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