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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. stock — goods
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — in control
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. current — electric
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tear — to rip
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stock — shares
  22. tear — from crying
  23. charge — a price
  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