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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. stock — goods
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time

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