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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stock — goods
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — all right
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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