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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 116 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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lean — thin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lean — to bend
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. race — a contest
  11. bound — certain
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stock — goods
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. prune — to trim

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