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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stock — goods
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bank — of a river
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chest — of your body
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bank — for money
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chest — a box
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bank — for money
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chest — of your body

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