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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stock — goods
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. prune — to trim
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. saw — the tool
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stock — shares
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. net — for catching
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the fish
  18. toast — bread
  19. net — in sport
  20. ball — a great time
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. net — after costs
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bass — low music

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