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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stock — shares
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. scale — in music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stock — goods
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mouse — the animal

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