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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stock — goods
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stock — shares
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. firm — decided
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bank — for money
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chest — a box
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — of your 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