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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. scale — size or range
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. present — a gift
  7. stock — shares
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. present — the time now
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stock — goods
  12. present — there
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lean — thin
  16. hand — help
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hand — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. scale — in music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. deal — to handle

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