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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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Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. rock — a stone
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rash — a series
  7. rock — music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pop — soda
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stock — goods
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rash — hasty
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pop — music
  22. cell — a phone
  23. prune — to trim
  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