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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — a hole
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. land — ground
  12. stock — shares
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. land — a country
  20. bore — to drill
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bore — to tire
  23. prune — to trim
  24. roll — a list

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