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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 do you think of the new ________________?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. craft — boats
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — employees
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stock — goods
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stock — shares
  18. squash — to crush
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rock — a stone
  21. staff — employees
  22. rock — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cabinet — ministers

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