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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lie — to recline
  3. object — an aim
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — from a university
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. toast — bread
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stock — shares
  17. object — a thing
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — a break
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stock — goods
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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