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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — goods
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — letters
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. spell — magic
  18. cue — a signal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pass — a permit
  24. plane — a tool

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