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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chair — a leader
  4. present — a gift
  5. spell — letters
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. present — the time now
  13. prune — to trim
  14. root — of a plant
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. present — there
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. spell — magic
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pit — a hole

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