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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — shares
  6. mug — a face
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mug — a cup
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pitch — completely
  14. land — a country
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. land — to come down
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stock — goods

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