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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stock — shares
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. spell — magic
  9. toast — bread
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stock — goods
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spell — letters
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cue — a signal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — the fruit

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