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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wind — moving air
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — shares
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wind — moving air
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. row — a line
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stock — goods
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stock — a soup base

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