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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stock — shares
  6. cold — an illness
  7. present — a gift
  8. cold — not warm
  9. present — the time now
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. present — there
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pit — a hole
  19. swing — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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