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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 116 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stock — shares
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — magic
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — a company
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rest — a break
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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