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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stock — shares
  7. lean — to bend
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — thin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. degree — an amount
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stock — goods
  17. row — a line
  18. prune — to trim
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stand — to bear
  21. row — to paddle
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stock — a soup base

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