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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stock — shares
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. key — for a lock
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. key — in music
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. key — the most important part
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wave — with your hand

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