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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. shower — rain
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. object — to protest
  5. stock — shares
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. toast — bread
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. shower — to wash
  13. object — an aim
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. object — a thing
  16. bat — the animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stock — goods
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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