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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. march — the month
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pop — music
  5. march — music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stock — goods
  9. spring — the season
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. march — the month
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pop — soda
  16. stock — shares
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spring — of water
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kid — child
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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