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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 120 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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. fine — high quality
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pop — to visit
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fine — all right
  10. pop — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mark — a grade
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. kid — child
  18. pop — soda
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stock — shares
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. prune — to trim

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