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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. race — humankind
  6. rest — what's left
  7. land — to come down
  8. race — a contest
  9. can — a tin
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mug — a face
  13. stock — goods
  14. mug — to rob
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mug — a cup
  20. land — a country
  21. rest — what's left
  22. prune — to trim
  23. land — ground
  24. can — to be able to

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