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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. fine — all right
  11. spring — the season
  12. stock — goods
  13. spring — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fine — high quality
  20. snap — to click
  21. pound — a weight
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stock — shares
  24. foot — part of the body

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