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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stock — goods
  12. snap — to click
  13. stand — to bear
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stock — shares
  22. kick — in football
  23. suit — clothes
  24. squash — the sport

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