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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mug — a cup
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — shares
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. drill — army training
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — to sink
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mug — a face
  23. spell — letters
  24. mug — to rob

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