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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. race — humankind
  3. kick — in football
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — the arms race
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. object — a thing
  9. race — a contest
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pound — a weight
  13. object — to protest
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. object — an aim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stock — shares
  23. cap — a hat
  24. face — to confront

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