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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — thin
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. land — ground
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — goods
  15. land — a country
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. land — to come down
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stock — shares
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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