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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. net — after costs
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. net — in sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stock — shares
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stock — goods
  21. mug — a face
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. net — for catching

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