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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stock — goods
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stock — shares
  10. can — to be able to
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mine — for digging
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pit — in a race
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — an explosive

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