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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. chest — a box
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stock — goods
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. toast — bread
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pound — for dogs

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