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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. court — of law
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. band — a ring
  9. stock — goods
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. court — for sport
  12. craft — boats
  13. bear — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. band — a music group
  16. court — of a king
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stock — shares
  23. bear — the animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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