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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. plane — a tool
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. prune — to trim
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — all right
  16. cold — an illness
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cold — not warm
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stock — goods
  22. fine — high quality
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. prune — to trim

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