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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stock — shares
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cue — a hint
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stock — goods
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rock — music
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cue — a signal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cue — for pool
  24. content — the amount

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