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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. net — in sport
  5. stock — shares
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. charge — a price
  9. spell — magic
  10. mine — for digging
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — goods
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spell — letters
  21. rush — hurry
  22. charge — in control
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rush — a thrill

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