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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stock — goods
  3. can — to be able to
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cap — a hat
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stock — shares
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ground — a position
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. ground — crushed
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. band — a music group

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