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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stock — goods
  3. spell — magic
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — a stone
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stock — shares
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. rock — music
  19. bass — low music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — the fish
  23. net — in sport
  24. rock — to move gently

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