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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. snap — to click
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bear — 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