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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stock — shares
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stock — goods
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. spring — the season
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bound — certain
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bark — of a tree

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