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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. present — the time now
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — thin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stock — goods
  19. present — there
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stock — shares
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mouse — the animal

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