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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — goods
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. object — a thing
  7. chest — of your body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. object — to protest
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — an aim
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mine — for digging
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stock — shares

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