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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stock — goods
  3. game — a match
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. deal — to handle
  6. can — to be able to
  7. foot — a measure
  8. net — in sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — shares
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. net — for catching
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. net — after costs
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bulb — for light

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