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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stock — goods
  3. object — to protest
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. suit — clothes
  10. foot — a measure
  11. object — an aim
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — a container
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. suit — to fit
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. object — a thing
  24. cell — in biology

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