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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — final
  8. rock — a stone
  9. last — to go on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stem — to come from
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stock — shares
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — goods
  22. band — a music group
  23. ball — a great time
  24. last — finally

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