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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stock — goods
  13. spell — magic
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stock — shares
  17. bat — the animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bear — the animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. spell — letters

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