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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. plane — a tool
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fine — high quality
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fine — all right
  19. fork — in a road
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. roll — a list
  23. prune — to trim
  24. craft — boats

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