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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stock — shares
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. object — an aim
  9. chip — for betting
  10. press — a publisher
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. press — to push
  15. pop — soda
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. press — newspapers
  18. chip — to eat
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pop — to visit
  22. object — to protest
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. prune — the fruit

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