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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stock — goods
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — of water
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. current — electric
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. current — happening now
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rash — a series
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ground — a position
  23. can — a tin
  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