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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — after costs
  6. bore — to tire
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. net — in sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. club — for golf
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lie — to recline
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bore — to drill
  24. prune — the fruit

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