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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. content — the amount
  6. stock — goods
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — a thing
  11. stock — shares
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — to protest
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — happy
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. swing — music
  20. object — an aim
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bore — to drill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bear — to put up with

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