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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stock — goods
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bear — the animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — decided
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. roll — a list
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — boats
  20. chest — a box
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. roll — a cake

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