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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stock — shares
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kid — to tease
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. board — to get on
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stock — goods
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bass — low music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kid — child
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — a committee

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