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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fork — in a road
  7. track — a path
  8. ground — a position
  9. stock — shares
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ground — the earth
  20. track — a song
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. track — to keep track

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