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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — shares
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ball — a great time
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. stock — goods
  24. lean — thin

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