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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spring — the season
  5. cap — a lid
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. club — a group
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spring — of water
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. cap — a hat
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. chest — a box
  22. stock — goods
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cap — of ice

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