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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. row — a line
  2. chip — to eat
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pop — music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pop — soda
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — the month
  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