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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. drill — army training
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — decided
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rest — what's left
  10. firm — steady
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — the most important part
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. rest — what's left
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — goods
  22. rest — a break
  23. firm — a company
  24. bat — for baseball

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