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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stock — goods
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stock — shares
  10. fine — all right
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. capital — a city
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. capital — money
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rock — music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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