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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — the season
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. shower — to wash
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stock — shares
  17. chip — to eat
  18. shower — rain
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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