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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mark — a trace
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rock — a stone
  8. track — a path
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. track — to keep track
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — a song
  14. stock — goods
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rest — a break
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rock — music
  24. prune — to trim

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