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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rule — government
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stock — goods
  9. rule — a law
  10. deal — to handle
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stock — shares
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pit — in a race
  17. staff — employees
  18. rock — music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rock — a stone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. staff — employees
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. staff — a stick

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