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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 120 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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stock — shares
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mine — for digging

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