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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — in a road
  16. shower — rain
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — magic
  24. track — to keep track

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