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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 120 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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pop — soda
  3. stock — goods
  4. ground — the earth
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. prune — to trim
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. ground — a position
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stock — shares
  14. content — the amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pop — music
  21. content — happy
  22. ground — crushed
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pop — to visit

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