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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. stock — goods
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lean — thin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stock — shares
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. kick — in football
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cue — a hint
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stock — a soup base

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