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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. chest — a box
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bear — the animal
  5. track — a song
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. track — a path
  12. stock — goods
  13. race — humankind
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — a contest
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stock — shares
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pitcher — a jug

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