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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. root — the cause
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. root — of a word
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pit — in a race
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kick — in football
  16. scale — in music
  17. stock — goods
  18. squash — the sport
  19. root — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — shares
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mark — a grade

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