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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. craft — boats
  4. present — a gift
  5. can — a tin
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. ground — the earth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — a position
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fine — all right
  13. scale — in music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fine — high quality
  17. present — the time now
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — shares
  22. present — there
  23. can — to be able to
  24. craft — a skill

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