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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — goods
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cap — a lid
  9. march — the month
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — the month
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — wild animals
  15. march — music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — shares
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. cap — of ice

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