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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. drill — a practice
  14. land — to come down
  15. drill — army training
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country

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