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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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. net — for catching
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cap — a hat
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stock — goods
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. chair — a leader
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cap — of ice
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. dip — a sauce

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