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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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. cue — a hint
  4. fall — to drop
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fall — the season
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. season — in sport
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stock — shares
  12. cue — a signal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chip — to eat
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bat — the animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. fall — to drop
  24. temple — side of the head

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