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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. stock — shares
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. can — a tin
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. can — a tin
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stock — goods
  18. content — the amount

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