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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · chip · pop · prune · bear · wind · lean · stock

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stock — shares
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pop — soda
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lean — thin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stock — goods
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pop — music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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