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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stock — shares
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. degree — temperature
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. degree — an amount
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stock — goods
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. roll — a list
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. prune — to trim
  24. roll — a cake

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