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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stock — goods
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stock — shares
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fine — all right
  20. tear — to rip
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. roll — a list
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — bread

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