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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. roll — a cake
  3. spell — a short time
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spell — magic
  6. stock — shares
  7. board — a committee
  8. spell — letters
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. stock — goods
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. board — to get on
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. roll — a list
  24. bowl — a football final

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