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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. last — to go on
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stock — goods
  6. cue — for pool
  7. suit — to fit
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — final
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spring — the season
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. last — finally
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. can — a tin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spring — of water
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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