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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 looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stock — goods
  7. degree — from a university
  8. suit — clothes
  9. toast — bread
  10. bear — the animal
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wound — an injury
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. suit — to fit
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stock — shares
  19. degree — temperature
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kick — in football

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