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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. content — the amount
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. scale — in music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — steady
  10. content — happy
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — wild animals
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. firm — decided
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. dip — to sink
  21. scale — size or range
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — a match
  24. stock — goods

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