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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.

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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bear — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. season — in sport
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stock — shares
  17. fall — the season
  18. stock — a soup base

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