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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rule — a law
  12. rash — a series
  13. stock — shares
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. rule — government
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — to rule out

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