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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bound — certain
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stock — shares
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. scale — in music
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bound — obliged
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stock — goods
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chip — in a computer

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