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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stock — goods
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stock — shares
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rule — a law
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — a position
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. snap — to click
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — government

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