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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stock — goods
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — shares
  10. drill — the tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. can — to be able to
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pop — to visit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — completely
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — army training
  20. plane — a tool
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lie — an untruth

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