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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. net — in sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — shares
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. net — after costs
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. net — for catching
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mug — a face
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stock — goods

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